Digitally based image capturing devices capture images of objects. The captured image or “photograph” of an object is stored in a digital data format in the memory within, or coupled to, the image capturing device. Nonlimiting examples of a digital image capturing device is a digital camera that captures still images and/or video images, a facsimile machine (FAX) or a copy machine.
It is desirable to identify an object by capturing an image of the object. However, merely capturing an image of the object may not be adequate to identify the object with reliability or certainty because sufficient detail necessary to identify the object is not visible in the captured image. That is, a captured image of an object, particularly if the object is relatively large, will not have sufficient resolution to identify the object with reliability or certainty.
For example, the owner of a bicycle may capture an image of the bicycle believing the captured image is sufficient to identify the bicycle. In the event that the bicycle is lost, stolen or otherwise damaged such that the owner files an insurance claim, the insurance company may require further proof that the bicycle shown in the captured image is the insured property. It is possible that an unscrupulous owner could attempt fraud on the insurance company by substituting an image of a more expensive bicycle for the actual owned bicycle. Accordingly, the insurance company may require additional proof, such as a receipt showing the make, type and/or serial number of the bicycle. Even with a sales receipt, the captured image may not be sufficient proof that the bicycle corresponds to the bicycle documented by the sales receipt.
Furthermore, the insurance company may require proof of the condition of the property. For example, was the bicycle in “like-new” condition, or did the bicycle have damage such that the value of the bicycle would be devalued accordingly? Such issues regarding the condition of an insured object become even more important with more valuable objects, such as, but not limited to, automobiles, objects of art or historical documents. Thus, captured images of an object may be used to establish the value of the object.
Additionally, in instances of theft, the owner of an object may wish to provide images of the stolen object in addition to a verbal and/or written description to the authorities. For example, a stolen bicycle may have identifying marks (such as a serial number) and/or identifying features (such as a scratch or weld) that can aid authorities in reporting and/or identifying the stolen bicycle. For instance, if the bicycle is recovered by the authorities, such captured images would be important in identifying the owner's bicycle from the many hundreds, or even thousands, of bicycles recovered by the authorities. However, such captured image(s) do not provide sufficient detail of the owner's bicycle so that the owner's bicycle can be distinguished between other similar bicycles of the same make, model and/or color.
Creating an accurate and complete catalogue of captured images for objects of interest may a time consuming, tedious and expensive process if many objects are to be documented with captured images. Furthermore, multiple images of the same object may become dissociated with each other, making the process of retrieving a plurality of captured images for any one object more difficult.